The Promise Of A Better Country

"They desire a better country." 

These words dominate the references to men of faith in Hebrews 11. Is that not true for all of us? We all desire a better country, a place where a man can grow old without fear, anxiety and conflict. We desire a country where a 10-month baby is not burned to death after her father murders her mother and then commits suicide by setting the house afire and shooting himself as well. We desire a country where teens do not have to resort to drug selling after being convinced there is no chance of ever getting a better job. We desire a better country without racism, poverty, violence in our homes and on the streets. We desire a country where God is worshipped by all, His laws are observed, where justice is practiced, where men are fed, clothed and cared for together. We desire a country where death no longer rules. We desire a country better called heaven!

The whole chapter is filled with people who dreamed of a better country, a true homeland, that is, a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:16).

• Abraham believed in such a country filled with his innumerable descendants (Gen. 22:1-12)
• Isaac promised such future blessings to his sons Jacob and Esau (Gen. 27:27-40)
• Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph (Gen. 48:5-22)
• Joseph believed that his people would return to the land of promise and gave directions concerning his bones (Gen. 50:24-25)
• Moses' parents hid him for three months and were not afraid of the king's edict (Exod. 2:1-2)
• Moses in his maturity refused to be called the royal son of Pharaoh's daughter (Exod. 2:10-15)
• Moses and his people kept the Passover, sprinkling blood on the lintels of their doors so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them (Exod 12:3-30)
• The Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, believing that the LORD led them (Exod. 14:13-15:21)
• After wandering for 40 years in the Sinai wilderness they crossed the Jordan and, after marching around Jericho for 40 days, the walls fell down (Joshua 6:3-20)
• Rahab the prostitute did not perish with Jericho because she protected the Israeli spies (Joshua 2:1-22; 6:23-25)

And so it goes, with one reference after another to the acts of faith recorded in Holy Scriptures and referred to in this wondrous chapter. There are more examples, but as the writer says, 

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophet—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-- of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. - Hebrews 11:32-38 ESV

All of these people walked in faith, desiring and believing in a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Many have sought unsuccessfully to create such a country by human means. We have had one political or popular leader after another. Name them: dictators, heroes, kings, prophets, senators, revolutionaries—on and on. And what do we have for all the promises, wars and bloodshed? Essentially the same old, tired, warring, bitter, dying world we have always had.

Even the men and women of faith did not receive the better country, but they believed in it nevertheless, believed in the promises of God. And then one day a star began to shine and some very wise men followed it and knelt down before a small child, believing that finally the better country would soon be found.

My Times Are In Your Hands

In earlier posts we began to look at various believers recorded in the Bible as examples for us to imitate. The latest of those is Abraham, a man who went out, not knowing where he was going. I'd like to consider that last phrase. 

Who of us really knows where he is going? In that connection I always find myself thinking of Robert Burns' poem To a Mouse, 1786. While he was plowing a field, he upturned a mouse's nest. His resulting poem is an apology to the mouse:

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane [you aren't alone]
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley, [often go awry]
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy.

As a pastor I'm often called upon to comfort people whose carefully laid plans have gone awry. A young man planning to go through college on an athletic scholarship breaks his leg on a skiing trip and finds that his leg no longer works to play football and basketball. Young parents are devastated when their six-year-old daughter comes down with cancer and dies. A middle-aged couple's plans are completely overturned when the company that the husband works for is bought up by a larger corporation that has no need of his services. A senior couple planning their retirement is overwhelmed with grief to learn that the wife has an inoperable brain tumor and will probably be dead in two months.

So it goes, again and again, month after month and year after year. . . "An lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, for promised joy." Surely these times test our faith. What can we learn from Abraham?

You probably know the story of how the LORD told Abraham in a vision that he would be the father of a multitude, the progenitor of an entire nation numbering like the stars above. I mentioned that promise in my previous post. But no children came until Sarah, his wife, was beyond child bearing years. And then the wonder of wonders. She became pregnant and gave birth to Isaac, according to the promise of the LORD who personally visited Abraham (Gen. 18:1-15; 21:1-8).

One would think that the story might end there with a phrase like "And they lived happily ever after and Abraham died a contented old man." But it does not. God put Abraham's faith to the test, a most severe, irrational test.

He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." - Gen 22:2 ESV 

The amazing fact is that Abraham did not question the LORD. He simply trusted that even if Isaac were dead the LORD could raise him from the dead. In faith he went to the land of Moriah and would most certainly have offered Isaac but for the LORD intervening at the last moment.

He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." ... 

Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided." 

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." - Gen 22:2, 10-18 ESV

In this way Abraham has become for us and thousands before us the example of a man of faith. We join with them to pray, regardless of how the LORD allows our faith to be tested,

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! - Psa 31:14-16 ESV 

Your Soul's Sure And Steadfast Anchor

In my last post we heard that there are those who may have fallen from the faith and cannot be returned to it. Nevertheless we pray for them. Now turn this around. What if you are fearful that this may happen to you by some weakness of your sinful heart or some temptation of the devil? What confidence can you have that you too will not lose your faith? Can you have any confidence in God's blessings? Listen.

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things--things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. - Hebrews 6:9-12 ESV

If you are reading these words of Holy Scripture, if you're heart rejoices in the promises that are yours in Jesus and if you are even concerned that you might lose your faith, then please, my brother or sister, take heart. " Better things, things that belong to your salvation, await you."

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. - Hebrews 6:10 ESV 

He knows you. He knows your heart. He knows what moves you to love your friend. He knows why you went out of your way to send your friend a check to cover expenses when he was forced to spend all that he had for medicines for his sick and dying child. He knows how you spent long hours visiting and encouraging a fellow member of your Christian fellowship, encouraging her as she mourned the death of her husband. He knows and remembers that commitment you have to your Bible class for teens in your neighborhood. He knows your heart and sees the faith that you have for Him, faith that expresses itself in love.

And just as He promised to bless Abraham, so He promises to bless you. Abraham was willing to obey the LORD, even when He was commanded to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (Gen. 22:1-18). Then the LORD knew that Abraham believed and trusted Him—and, as before, He renewed His promise to bless Abraham (Gen. 17:1-8).

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." - Gen 22:15-18 ESV 

As Hebrews says, "since God had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, 'Surely I will bless you and multiply you'" (Hebrews 6:13-14). And it is very important that you understand what that means for you so that even in times when you struggle with doubts and darkness you do not completely despair of God's love for you, sinner though you are. What strengthens us in those moments is the unchangeable nature and person of God and the fact that He cannot lie. In other words,

1. God's purpose for you is that you receive forgiveness because of Jesus' sacrifice for you on the cross of Calvary. In Jesus He said, "Surely I will bless and multiply you. I WILL, I WILL!" 
2. And he has guaranteed this with an oath, swearing by Himself, just as He did to Abraham. 

So we return to what He said to us earlier in this letter about Jesus, the Son of God.

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. - Hebrews 4:14-15 ESV

We have a high priest, we surely do. His name is Jesus, the Son of God. He understands, relates and sympathizes with your weakness, your confusion, your fear. Again, as we said before, He knows. He too was tempted, just as you are. Yet He did not sin, but offered His sinful life for you.

Jesus is then your soul's "sure and steadfast anchor" in the midst of the storms assailing you. He is your one certain hope. He has "passed through the heavens" into the very presence of God, the presence represented in the old tabernacle and later in the temple by the Most Holy Place (Exod. 26:33-34; 40:18-38; Hebrews 9:1-28).

So do not fear. He will preserve your faith. Your hope of heaven and eternal life is certain. We'll learn more of this later.

Yes, We Have A Destiny

In my previous post I raised the question of destiny, both my own and the destiny of my nation. Is there indeed a plan for each one of us, as well as a plan for our nations or groups of people? Is the hand of God at work in all of this?

To answer these questions we are asking the Holy Spirit to guide us through the following passage from Moses' farewell speech, given on the day of his death after guiding the Children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years. Read the entire context in Deut. 32:1-43.

Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. - Deu 32:7-9 ESV

The chosen people of God are called the sons of God or the children of God. They all traced their lineage back to Jacob or Israel, the grandson of Abraham. Step by step over hundreds of years God made them into a people and prepared for them this land they were about to enter. The promises given to Abraham were about to be fulfilled.

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites." - Gen 15:18-21 ESV. See also Gen 17:1-5. 

 This covenant is celebrated in the Psalms.

O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance." - Psa 105:6-11 ESV

 We can trace God's guiding hand back to the days of Noah and the flood. So we read, 

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. - Gen 9:12-19 ESV

Moses invites the people to review their history. Check with your fathers, he urges. They'll teach you about how the Most High God guided these events, including your bondage in Egypt and your wandering in the wilderness these past 40 years. Now you are about to enter a land designed for you, with room for all of you, a land that does not belong to the Canaanites.

The lesson for God's people in these days? God does indeed have plans for His people and each one of us as members of His people. We are called to follow Him and to serve in the place and at the time that He has designed for us. The plans of God reach back to the days of Adam and Eve. They stretch forward across the centuries to the birth, life, death and resurrection of God's Son, Jesus, the Messiah. We who have been called to faith in Christ Jesus are His chosen people, the new Israel. Paul points to this in his letters.

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. - Gal 6:14-16 ESV

 And earlier in the same letter,

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 

... For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. - Gal 3:7-9, 27-29 ESV

Destiny? Promises? Guidance? Blessings? Indeed. The hand of God has been guiding all things up to this present day. And know with certainty that if you are in Christ Jesus you are an heir of all God's promises, promises that reach forward to the resurrection from the dead endless ages yet to come.

I'll have more to say about this in my next post.

Nothing's Gonna Harm You

In Stephen Sondheim's hit musical Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett sings Tobias Ragg to sleep with the song, "Not While I'm Around."

Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around.

Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around.

Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays,

I'll send 'em howling, 

I don't care, I got ways.

No one's gonna hurt you, 

No one's gonna dare.

Others can desert you, 

Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there.

Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while,

But in time...

Nothing can harm you

Not while I'm around...

The story behind the musical is gory and I'm not a great fan of the musical itself, but I quote it because when I first heard Barbra Streisand sing it I could not help but think about some words spoken by our LORD Jesus Christ shortly before He ascended back into heaven. 

"Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Mat 28:20 ESV

He did not leave them. No longer would they see Him in the manner they had, but He was with them. This was the wondrous promise fulfilled since the prophecy about Immanuel was first spoken to us all.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isa 7:14 ESV

And so it has come to pass. Jesus, born of the Virgin, is God With Us! He has carried the burden of our sins and all the countless sorrows that have followed. With that work completed, He has now returned to His Father and ours to plead before God's throne on our behalf. And so He promises, "I am with you always" until this present age ends and He returns in power and glory.

May I borrow Sondheim's words to express what Jesus means to say to us?

Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around. Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays, I'll send 'em howling, I don't care, I got ways. No one's gonna hurt you, No one's gonna dare. Others can desert you, Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there. Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while, but in time... Nothing can harm you. not while I'm around!

And He is around—always, everywhere, anywhere, any time. No need to worry. He is in charge and has His ways. More about Him and His ways next time.

Our Spiritual Lineage

Recently my wife and I attended a family reunion of cousins on her side. What binds the various cousins and their families together is a common lineage from Grandpa and Grandma. All of her cousins can trace their lineage back to their grandparents through either their mother or father. They are related by blood.

However, there is in this family a problem. Who was Grandpa's real father? One of the genealogists of the family claims that this information has been lost in a fire. There is no record remaining, at least as far as we know. Further research is needed.

Searching for ancestors' grave sites

Interestingly, the Bible makes a big thing about family lineage and genealogical records. Consider one major example in the New Testament, the lineage of Jesus, found in the Gospel of Matthew:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers . . . So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1-17)

This repetition of fourteen three times seems too slick. How could this possibly be? Biblical scholars have discussed Matthew's genealogical record of Jesus in great detail. I'll not go into that. Here rather are some conclusions based upon the work of Donald A. Hagner, Fuller Theological Seminary professor, as written in his commentary on Matthew. 

 It is unnecessary to examine in detail the genealogy between Adam and Abraham. The Gospel of Luke records that (Luke 3:23-38). His genealogy, like Matthew's, appears to derive from the Old Testament (1 Chr 1:1-4, 24-27; Gen 5:3-32;11:10-26). However, Matthew gives no listing from Adam to Abraham. His focus is upon Jesus as the one who has fulfilled the promise given to Abraham that all families on earth were to be blessed from his descendant. 

We don't know for certain why Matthew used the 3 x 14 structure to record his genealogy. It is possible that this is a veiled reference to six sevens. Thus it could mean that with the coming of Christ we enter the seventh seven, the period of perfection and fulfillment. 

Another possibility is that the number 14 alludes to Daniel's reference to seventy weeks of years—70 x 7— (Daniel 9:24). By reckoning a generation at 35 years (35 x 14) one comes up with 490. Forgive me if I do not get into the vast and very confusing discussion of all that Daniel means by 70-weeks of years. Suffice it to say that Matthew teaches that after three periods of seventy weeks of years (490 x 3 = 1,470 years) God sends his Messiah into the world. Those who get deep into teaching about the millenium make varied use of Daniel's writings. 

That aside, does Matthew intend to say that Abraham lived 1,470 years before Christ? Probably not. Matthew does not give us dates. He rather gives us generations and points us to God's providence and guiding throughout that history. Indeed there have been hundreds of attempts to date Abraham's lifetime. The Jews claim he lived sometime between 1812 to 1637 BC. The 17th century British Archbishop James Ussher dates him from 1976 to 1801 BC. The Lutheran Study Bible has him being born around 2166 BC (pg. xciii). The most that can be said with any degree of certainty is that he lived around the later part of the third or the earlier part of the second millennium before Christ. 

Matthew intends to teach us that God was at work throughout that history of the people of Israel. The promise given to Abraham was renewed and deepened in the promise given to David (1 Samuel 11; Pss. 2, 8, 16, 22, 45, 69, 110, etc. ; Isaiah 11:1-10). From David, the anointed king of Israel, comes the name Messiah or Christ, the Anointed One. The heavenly Father structured events that ultimately led to the birth of His Son, the Messiah and thus to the salvation of all mankind. When Abram left his homeland the LORD told him in a vision, 

"Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3)

Abraham's grandson, Jacob, heard the promise renewed in his vision at Bethel, 

And behold, the LORD stood above it (the flight of stairs) and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 28:13-14)

What that teaches us is that our God is not a God afar off who has no interest or involvement in the affairs of this world. He is at work in the great events of history and he is at work in the events of our personal lives. Indeed He has come among us in the person of Jesus, promised across the generations. Matthew records the final comforting words of Jesus as his Gospel ends, 

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

Yes, He is with us, His chosen people (Galatians 6:14-18). We are more than cousins. We are the newborn children of God, members of the new Israel. And the best is yet to come.

Seven Resurrection Promises

Numerous churches across the United States are preparing for the celebration of the first and greatest of all Christian festivals, the Feast of the Resurrection, commonly known as Easter. Early Christians used the term pascha, from the Hebrew pesach (Passover), because of the intimate connection this Feast has with the Passover Feast. Of course, Christians consider every Sunday, the first day of the week, a continual celebration of the Resurrection Feast.

As we move toward that day I commend to your meditation Psalm 91:14-16. We who hold fast to the LORD Jesus (Philippians 2:1-11) in love have the following promises:

1. I will deliver him—Ungodly enemies may come at us, but in the end we are confident. He will deliver us. We will slip away and be safe forever.
2. I will protect him, because he knows my name—The name of the LORD is a strong tower, a fortress; the righteous man runs into it and is safe (Proverbs 18:10).
3. I will answer him when he calls—Come, he urges. You who are burdened and weighed down, come. I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
4. I will be with him in trouble—The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them (Psalm 34:6-6).
5. I will rescue and honor him—We will share in His glory and honor. He has rescued us from eternal death and judgment. We boast now in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14).
6. I will satisfy him with long life—We who are in Christ have been reborn into a life that will never cease. Nothing can now separate us from Him who is our life (Romans 8:35-39).
7. I will show him my salvation—Yeshua means salvation. The Lord Jesus, Yoshua, He is my salvation. I see Him and know Him. I will no longer be concerned about tomorrow. I am content (1 Timothy 6:6-9).

In these promises we now rest secure. We can trust His promises. The LORD promised to send us a Savior from sin, death and judgment. He did. His name, the name above all names—Philippians 2:1-11—is Jesus, the name that means God the LORD is my salvation. This One completed His work on the cross and on the Eighth Day rose victorious. In Him is now a new creation, a renewed humanity and the fullness of time.